1. Technical Field
This invention relates to molding machines, and more particularly to a molding tool for use with a extrusion molding machine, where the molding tool receives molten plastic from an output of the molding machine and divides the molten plastic flow into a plurality of independent flow paths which are subsequently used to simultaneously produce a plurality of molded articles.
2. Discussion
Conventional molding machines often supply hot molten plastic to an output port to which is coupled a molding tool. The molding tool forms an interface between the output port and the mold into which the molten plastic is charged. With previously developed molding tools, a single stream of molten plastic is typically provided to a mold. This is accomplished by the use of a molding tool coupled to an output of the molding machine which includes a flow nozzle assembly. The flow nozzle assembly receives the full molten plastic flow and directs the flow in a precise manner into the mold. With extrusion blow molding machines, pressurized air is injected into the nozzles, as is well known in the art, to force the molten plastic against the cavities in the mold to thereby assist in the molding of articles. In vacuum molding machines a vacuum force is applied to the cavity formed by the two components of the molding die to draw the molten plastic against the surfaces of the cavity.
Until the present time, molding tools typically used with molding machines such as extrusion blow molding machines have only been capable of supplying a single molten plastic stream to the mold. Thus, the entire molten plastic output from the molding machine has typically been directed through a single flow nozzle, even though the output would be sufficient, if divided by some means or mechanism, to supply two independent molds, and therefore to permit two independent articles to be simultaneously molded using the output of the molding machine.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a means by which the molten plastic output from a molding machine can be divided into two or more independent molten plastic flows that can be used to charge two independent molding cavities simultaneously, and therefore permit a plurality of plastic articles to be molded simultaneously from the output of a single molding machine.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a means or mechanism which is securable to an output of a conventional molding machine without modifying the molding machine, and which receives the molten plastic output from the molding machine and divides the output into two or more distinct flow paths which are subsequently used to simultaneously mold a plurality of articles.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a means or mechanism which divides the flow of molten plastic from the output of a conventional molding machine evenly into a plurality of flow paths such that each flow path may be directed through an independent flow nozzle and eventually to an independent mold tool so that a plurality of articles may be manufactured generally simultaneously.